A Rise That Has Stunned the Tour
Rafael Jodar's story reads like something out of a tennis fairy tale. At the start of 2025, the Spanish teenager was ranked 895th in the world while still studying at the University of Virginia. By year's end he had climbed to 168th and made the call to turn professional. Fast forward through 2026, and Jodar has since reached a career-high ranking of 11, putting him on pace to break Boris Becker's record for the quickest ascent from the top 100 to the top 10. He currently sits ninth in the ATP Tour Race to Turin, making a spot at the season-ending ATP Finals a very real possibility.
Veterans Line Up With Their Praise
With the US Open at Flushing Meadows approaching, established names across the tour have been unanimous in their admiration. Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini declared that Jodar is the first name that comes to mind when discussing the sport's brightest talents, adding that he is already a star rather than simply a rising one. Sixth seed Alex De Minaur echoed that sentiment, and Casper Ruud named Jodar alongside American Learner Tien as his top picks. Karen Khachanov noted that "everybody's now speaking about him" after months of rapid improvement.
Toni Nadal, the legendary coach who guided his nephew Rafael Nadal to seven Grand Slam titles, has also singled Jodar out as the best of the new generation, though he stopped short of placing the 19-year-old in the same conversation as Carlos Alcaraz. Among the American contingent, Fritz, Paul, and Tiafoe backed compatriot Tien, while Alexander Blockx received support from several Italian pros.
Jodar arrives at the US Open off a quarter-final run at the French Open, and TennisDraw users have him among the most popular breakout picks in their bracket submissions this fortnight.
